Polyurea self-sealing target

ABSTRACT

A polymer material is adapted to coat a weapons training target that has the ability to self-heal and maintain its useful life significantly longer than conventional targets. The polymer material includes a polyurea formed from a mixture of about 1 part isocyanate to about 1 part polyetheramine. Methods for making the targets include coating a target mold with the polyurea polymer coating.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalpatent application No. 61/681,140, filed Aug. 8, 2012, the contents ofwhich are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to targets and, more particularly, totargets that can self-seal to provide multiple use.

Targets are used by marksmen as training aids. Initial firearms trainingmay be performed with traditional bull's eye targets or paper, plasticor metallic silhouette targets. These targets are useful to trainpolice, soldiers, hunters or other citizens how to aim and shoot but arelimited in the number of rounds they can take before they are torn toshreds.

The useful life of such targets is limited by their tendency to retainholes, crumble or shred under repeated weapons fire, leaving themilitary and police force with the high cost of frequent replacement.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved target material that maybe self-sealing and able to withstand bullets passing therethroughwithout shredding or falling apart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional style military target;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the conventional style militarytarget of FIG. 1, after being shot;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a military target coated with aself-sealing polymer according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the military target of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the target of the present invention anda conventional target shot at in a side-by-side comparison;

FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the target of the present invention of FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate target design that can bemade by from the target materials and methods of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a target backer made with the polyureapolymer of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a long range target backer made with thepolyurea polymer of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a polymermaterial adapted to coat a weapons training target that has the abilityto self-heal and maintain its useful life significantly longer thanconventional targets. The polymer material of the present inventionincludes a polyurea formed from a mixture of about 1 part isocyanate toabout 1 part polyetheramine. The present invention further providesmethods for making these targets.

More specifically, the polymer coating of the present invention can be a100% solids, two component polymer hybrid ceramic putty. The polymercoating of the present invention can be formulated to contain novolatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can have good resistance toinorganic bases, acids and hydrocarbon solvents. The polymer costing ofthe present invention has fair resistance to oxygenated and chlorinatedsolvents and has good resistance to hot water up to about 180° F.

The polymer coating can be a polyurea having the following physicalproperties:

Property Test method/units Value Tensile Strength ASTM D412 2800Elongation (%) ASTM D412 225% Tear Strength (PLI) ASTM D-624 350Hardness (shore A) ASTM D-2240 90 Abrasion resistance ExcellentViscosity B-side CPS 500-600 Viscosity A-side CPS 500-600 Ratio A/B BV2:1 Density B-side 1.025 Density A-side 1.14 Flash point ASTM D-56 >720°F. VOC testing CAN/ULC-S774 P >200° F. Weight 8.5 lbs/gallon Gel time25-30 seconds Tack Free time 10 minutes Foot traffic 1 hour

In some embodiments, the polyurea can be made from various isocyanatesand various polyetheramine, each optionally substituted with one or moresubstituents that may not affect the desired use of the resultingpolyurea. Typically, the polymer does not contain a catalyst of filler.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the polyurea polymer coating 14 of thepresent invention can be used to coat military training targets 10. InFIG. 1, a conventional military target 100 is shown. FIG. 2 shows thistarget after being struck by bullets shot at the target 100. As can beseen holes 102 are present in the target 100. After use, the target 100may fall apart and require replacement.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a military target 10 coated with thepolymer coating 14 of the present invention. When shot at by bullets(the same size and from the same distance as that from FIG. 2), as shownin FIG. 4, the bullet holes 12 are barely noticeable, if noticeable atall. The target 10 of the present invention, coated with the polyureapolymer coating 14, can withstand multiple uses, including hundreds ofbullet strikes, without developing holes and falling apart asconventional targets do under similar use. The polymer coating may bedisposed on the target with a thickness from about 1/16 inch to about5/16 inch, for example. Of course, other thicknesses can be achieved andused, depending on the desired application.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the targets 10 of the present invention weretested in cooperation with the U.S. Army at Fort Knox. As can be seen inthe Figures, the conventional “Ivan” target 100 (left-hand side) hasseveral bullet holes cut through the target, causing the target toeventually develop large holes, rip, tear and collapse. The target 10 ofthe present invention retains its shape and the holes are minimal, ascan be seen from the close-up view of FIG. 6. The U.S. Army testingdetermined that the targets 10 of the present invention would last 800%longer than the conventional targets 100 in the U.S. Army's inventory.By using the targets of the present invention, not only would materialcost be reduced, but the time, labor and effort involved in havingpersonnel replace the current targets can also be significantly reduced.

Referring to FIG. 7, the targets of the present invention can be madewith various molds 20 to provide not only enemy targets but alsocivilian targets, further enhancing training efforts.

In some embodiments, the targets of the present invention can be used asa target backing 30, 40, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. For example, astandard paper target can be attached to a target backing 30 made withthe polymer of the present invention. Shooting ranges often use wood orcardboard target backings, which, over a limited period of time, wearaway. The target backing using the polymer of the present invention canlast significantly longer, reducing the time between when a user, suchas a shooting range customer, has to wait for the target backing to bechanged.

The polyurea polymer coating of the present invention may be used tocoat various targets in addition to the military targets shown in theFigures. In addition, the polyurea polymer coating of the presentinvention could be used to coat other items that may be subject topenetration, where a self-sealing feature may be desirable. The designis only limited by the base target molds, as the polyurea polymercoating can be applied to any number of molds and, once cured, thepolyurea polymer target can be easily removed from the mold for use.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A self-sealing target comprising: a polyureapolymer coating formed from an isocyanate and a polyetheramine in a 1:1volumetric ratio.
 2. The self-sealing target of claim 1, wherein thepolyurea is formed from a 100 percent solids, two component polymerhybrid ceramic putty.
 3. The self-sealing target of claim 1, wherein thepolyurea contains no volatile organic compounds.
 4. The self-sealingtarget of claim 1, wherein the target is a military training target. 5.The self-sealing target of claim 1, wherein the polyurea polymer coatingis disposed on the target with a thickness from about 1/16 inch to about5/16 inch.
 6. A method for making a self-healing target, comprising:coating a target mold with a polyurea polymer coating formed from anisocyanate and a polyetheramine in a 1:1 volumetric ratio; allowing thepolyurea polymer coating to cure; and removing the self-healing targetfrom the mold for use.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the targetwithstands hundreds of bullet strikes without developing holes andfalling apart.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the polyurea polymercoating is disposed on the target mold with a thickness from about 1/16inch to about 5/16 inch.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the polyureapolymer coating is formed from a 100 percent solids, two componentpolymer hybrid ceramic putty.
 10. The method of claim 6, wherein thepolyurea polymer coating contains no volatile organic compounds.
 11. Theself-sealing target of claim 6, wherein the target is a militarytraining target.